Nicole leads the way to nec

Nicole Lockhead Anderson made the long trip from Banchory worthwhile when she won the first Equithème Leading Pony Showjumper of the Year qualifier last week.

Competing at the Weston Lawns Equitation Centre Pony Premier in Warwickshire against 32 other starters, Nicole, 16, took not only the win but also one of the three qualification tickets on offer for the Championship Final at the Horse of the Year Show at Birmingham’s NEC in October.

In the four-horse jump off, Nicole came out on top with Gangnam Style II, a nine-year-old bay gelding owned by mum Claire Lockhead.

Nicole and Gangnam Style II shook off the competition to leave all the fences standing whilst leaving themselves with nearly five seconds in hand after delivering their double clear in 40.50 seconds.

The riders who finished first to fourth also took home the chance to compete in the Equithème National 148cm Championship at the British Showjumping National Championships at the National Agricultural and Exhibition Centre, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire in August.

In addition Nicole has been selected to represent Great Britain in the Team LeMieux Pony Nations Cup in Lamprechtshausen, Austria from May 18-21 with either Gangnam Style II or the 10-year-old brown gelding Lynncot Fancy Pants owned by Jane Holmes.

The GB selectors will use this event to decide on selection for the European Championships at Bishop Burton College, Yorkshire in August.